Sheriff's Office group will collect donations for overseas military

Christmas in a Box event will begin Saturday in Winn-Dixie parking lot.

By Steven ChristliebCorrespondent

Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 12:28 a.m.

FOREST CORNERS - A Citizens on Patrol Group, which is an outreach of the Marion County Sheriff's Office based in the Ocala National Forest, is sponsoring an event to benefit Florida troops overseas.

Christmas in a Box for the Troops will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of State Road 40 and County Road 314A, in the parking lot of the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza.

The Silver Watch Citizens on Patrol, or COPS, unit will have a tent set up and volunteers will remain on site until donors stop coming, said event co-organizer Ernie Barney.

Items collected will be sent to soldiers stationed in Iraq in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Reserves.

Requested donations are non-perishable items not available for purchase by the soldiers. Items especially in demand include toothpaste, individually wrapped hard candies, individually wrapped snack items such as beef jerky or cookies, and individual drink mix packages that can be carried in pockets, such as iced tea or lemonade.

Lip balm, chapstick, suntan lotion and skin moisturizer also are in high demand due to the arid climate in Iraq.

Also needed are ink pens, writing tablets, deodorant, game books such as crossword puzzles, hair conditioner, phone cards, unscented soap, hand sanitizer and Beanie Babies or small stuffed animals (new or used) that can be placed in a pocket.

Cash donations will be used to help pay the $9 per package postage to send the care boxes overseas.

Not all the requested items are for the soldiers' use and consumption. The troops use some items to establish good rapport in communities in which they are working.

According to the soldiers, said Barney, "They usually do this through acceptance by the children first and then the adults."

Silver Watch COPS was founded and organized by Barney and Grant Feiss in Silver Lake Acres in May 2006.

"The organization is composed of mostly senior citizens, and has three vehicles and approximately 80 volunteers," Barney said. "They average about 900 hours a month patrolling and maintaining the Forest neighborhood east of the Ocklawaha River."

Russ and Jackie Walker, who inventory and pack the contents of the boxes for Silver Watch, along with Barney, organized the Christmas in a Box for the Troops event and targeted the supplies specifically for Florida troops.

Jackie, who works for a company that makes and sells greeting cards, said, "We also send cards to the individual soldiers who do not receive mail, especially around the holidays."

Interested donors who cannot make Saturday's event can make donations at drop boxes at the Marion County Sheriff's Office Substation, Winn-Dixie, Family Dollar, Big Pine Hardware and Marie's Restaurant.

<p>FOREST CORNERS - A Citizens on Patrol Group, which is an outreach of the Marion County Sheriff's Office based in the Ocala National Forest, is sponsoring an event to benefit Florida troops overseas.</p><p>Christmas in a Box for the Troops will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of State Road 40 and County Road 314A, in the parking lot of the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza.</p><p>The Silver Watch Citizens on Patrol, or COPS, unit will have a tent set up and volunteers will remain on site until donors stop coming, said event co-organizer Ernie Barney.</p><p>Items collected will be sent to soldiers stationed in Iraq in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Reserves.</p><p>Requested donations are non-perishable items not available for purchase by the soldiers. Items especially in demand include toothpaste, individually wrapped hard candies, individually wrapped snack items such as beef jerky or cookies, and individual drink mix packages that can be carried in pockets, such as iced tea or lemonade.</p><p>Lip balm, chapstick, suntan lotion and skin moisturizer also are in high demand due to the arid climate in Iraq.</p><p>Also needed are ink pens, writing tablets, deodorant, game books such as crossword puzzles, hair conditioner, phone cards, unscented soap, hand sanitizer and Beanie Babies or small stuffed animals (new or used) that can be placed in a pocket.</p><p>Cash donations will be used to help pay the $9 per package postage to send the care boxes overseas.</p><p>Not all the requested items are for the soldiers' use and consumption. The troops use some items to establish good rapport in communities in which they are working.</p><p>According to the soldiers, said Barney, "They usually do this through acceptance by the children first and then the adults."</p><p>Silver Watch COPS was founded and organized by Barney and Grant Feiss in Silver Lake Acres in May 2006.</p><p>"The organization is composed of mostly senior citizens, and has three vehicles and approximately 80 volunteers," Barney said. "They average about 900 hours a month patrolling and maintaining the Forest neighborhood east of the Ocklawaha River."</p><p>Russ and Jackie Walker, who inventory and pack the contents of the boxes for Silver Watch, along with Barney, organized the Christmas in a Box for the Troops event and targeted the supplies specifically for Florida troops.</p><p>Jackie, who works for a company that makes and sells greeting cards, said, "We also send cards to the individual soldiers who do not receive mail, especially around the holidays."</p><p>Interested donors who cannot make Saturday's event can make donations at drop boxes at the Marion County Sheriff's Office Substation, Winn-Dixie, Family Dollar, Big Pine Hardware and Marie's Restaurant.</p>